I'm here without You
by misao1000
Summary: Neji and his daughter Naomi go to visit TenTen.


**I'm Here Without You**

As twenty-five year old Neji Hyuga sat at his desk thinking about days long gone, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by someone calling to him.

"Tou-san are you ok?" asked a little girl, touching Neji's hand.

Being alerted to the girls presence, Neji looks down at her, and is suddenly hit with a surge of emotion. However, he quickly catches it, and pushes it away.

"What is it Naomi-chan" asked Neji, looking at his daughter.

"Tou-san, as you know I start at the academy in a week" said Naomi.  
"I was wondering if we could go see kaa-san, and I could tell her about my plans"

"Alright" said Neji, getting to his feet.  
"It has been awhile since we saw TenTen together. Let me get changed, then we can go see her together"

"Alright Tou-san" said Naomi.  
"But don't take to long"

"I won't Naomi-chan" said Neji.

As Naomi left the room, Neji went to his closet and got some clothes to change into. He then headed towards the bathroom, were he could take a quick shower, and change. After removing his clothes, and getting into the shower, Neji placed his head against the wall, and began to think again.

Flashback: Six years ago

"Come on TenTen, push" said Neji, holding TenTen's hand as she pushed.

After a few minutes, they both heard crying. Tsunade appeared a few moments later holding a pink blanket.

"Congratulations TenTen, Neji, you have a perfectly healthy little girl" said Tsunade, handing the bundle to TenTen.

"Isn't she so cute, Neji? asked TenTen, as she held there daughter.

"She has your hair color" said Neji.

"Yes she does" said TenTen.

"Have you thought of a name for her?" asked Tsunade.

"We have decided on Naomi" said Neji.

"Very well" said Tsunade.  
"I will go fill out the birth certificate, while you three get better acquainted"

As Tsunade leaves, Naomi opens her eyes.

"Neji look, she has your eyes" said TenTen.

End Flashback

Neji was brought back out of his thoughts by someone knocking on the door.

"Tou-san, are you finished yet?" asked Naomi.

"I'll be out in a minute, Naomi-chan" called Neji, turning off the shower, and leaving it.

He then quickly dried off, got dressed, and opening the bathroom door found Naomi standing there, with her hands on her hips.

"What was you doing in there Tou-san?" asked Naomi.  
"It was forty-five minutes ago, when I left your room"

"I'm sorry Naomi-chan" said Neji, not being able to look at her.  
"I was remembering the day you was born, and I lost track of time"

"Oh ok" said Naomi, removing her hands from her hips.  
"If your ready now, lets go", takes his hand, and begins to pull him.

"Let me get my shoes on, Naomi-chan" said Neji, going over to his bed.

Naomi just gives a huff, crosses her arms across her chest, and starts to tap her foot impatiently. Neji catching sight of this, is reminded of another memory.

Flashback: Six months after Naomi was born.

Neji was sitting at the kitchen counter, going over some mission reports, when TenTen called out to him.

"Neji, can you come help me?"

"What is you need help with TenTen?" called Neji.  
"I'm kind of busy at the moment"

"I am trying to give Naomi a bath, and she keeps making a mess" called TenTen.

"I'm sure you can handle it, TenTen" called Neji.

A few minutes later, everything seemed to have quieted down, so Neji went back to looking over the mission reports. He heard TenTen come into the kitchen a few minutes after everything had quieted down. Looking up from his papers, when he heard her stop in front of him, he saw her with her arms crossed across her chest, her foot tapping the floor lightly, and she was soaking wet.

"Something wrong TenTen?" asked Neji.

"Not at all" said TenTen, in a sweet voice, that Neji knew all to well.  
"I only asked you to come help me with our daughter, and you just said I could handle it. Look at me Neji, i'm soaking wet!"

"I'm sorry TenTen" said Neji.  
"But I really need to get these reports done, for Hokage-sama. I promise I will make it up to you"

"You better!" said TenTen.  
"After all, we agreed that if we had children, we would help each other on raising them"

Neji got to his feet as she was saying that, and made his way over to stand in front of her.

"I know what we agreed too TenTen, and I promise that I will help you raise Naomi-chan" said Neji, leaning forward and placing a kiss on TenTen's lips, just as Naomi started crying.

Breaking the kiss, TenTen smiled and said " Your daughter needs you, Neji".

"Alright" said Neji.  
"But once I get back, we continue where we left off"

"I'll think about it" said TenTen, as Neji left to go see about Naomi.

End Flashback.

"You sure are slow Tou-san" said Naomi.

"Sorry Naomi-chan, but I had another memory of you and your mother" said Neji, putting on his shoes.

"If you keep reminiscing Tou-san, it is going to get dark before we get to see Kaa-san" said Naomi.

"I know" said Neji.  
"And I'm sorry about that Naomi-chan"

"I'll forgive you, if we can go now" said Naomi.

"Alright" said Neji.  
"I am dressed, I have my shoes on,and i'm now ready to go"

"About time" said Naomi, taking his hand and pulling.  
"There will be no stops until we get to Kaa-san"

Neji let himself be pulled up from his bed, and soon out of the room, thinking as he went [Naomi is so much like you TenTen. Strong and determined, to get what she wants]

After being pulled by Naomi for about forty minutes, she finally released Neji's hand and began to speak.

"Hello Kaa-san" said Naomi.  
"Tou-san brought me here to see you, so that I can tell you about my plans, for when I start at the academy next week. I'm sorry I didn't bring you any flowers, but I promise to do that next time. Anyway...

As Naomi continued to talk to TenTen, Neji remembered another memory spent with TenTen.

Flashback: One year after Naomi was born.

Neji and TenTen found themselves standing before The Hokage, with there former teammate Lee there as well.

"I really hate to send you away from Naomi, but this mission calls for your skills" said The Hokage.

"We understand Hokage-sama" said Neji.  
"What is it you need us to do?"

"I need you to go to Iwa, and try and calm down the tension there" said The Hokage.  
"Lee-kun will be accompanying you. I really wish I could be the one to go, but since I look to much like my father, it could possibly escalate things, and take us into another war with Iwa. And if I can help it, I will not allow that to happen"

"Your place is here in the village anyway Naruto-sama" said TenTen.  
"Neji, Lee and I can handle the mission"

"We won't fail you Hokage-sama" said Lee.

"Very well" said Naruto.  
"I wish you all the best of luck, and also that you all come back safe"

End Flashback.

Neji was again brought out of his thoughts by someone calling him. Looking around he found Naomi, standing in front of him.

"Tou-san, are you going to say anything to kaa-san?" asked Naomi.

"I will once your finished Naomi-chan" said Neji.  
"After all I can come here anytime and see her. You will be very busy soon at the academy, and won't have as much time"

"Yea you're right Tou-san" said Naomi.  
"But don't forget to say something to kaa-san before we go. I'm sure she would really love to her your voice", runs off back towards where she was talking to TenTen.

As Neji watched Naomi talk to TenTen, he went back to his memories.

Flashback: Three weeks after getting there mission

Neji was carrying TenTen in his arms, as he softly talked to her.

"Hold on TenTen, you're going to be fine"

"N N Neji, i'm sorry" said TenTen.

"Don't try to talk TenTen." said Neji.  
"You need to save your strength"

"Neji, i'm cold and tired" said TenTen.

"Please stay awake TenTen" said Neji.  
"We'll be back in Konoha soon, and Sakura-chan will help you"

The rest of the journey back to Konoha was done in silence. Neji would occasionally get TenTen to talk to him, but it was mostly one or two words, and sometimes he barely heard them.

Arriving back in Konoha, Neji headed straight for the hospital, not even stopping to check in with the gate guards. Arriving at the hospital, Neji quickly made his way inside, and began calling for Sakura.

Sakura coming out of a room, heard his calls and ran up to him, once she saw TenTen in his arms.

"What happened?" asked Sakura, as she looked over TenTen, and shined a light into her eyes.

"We was ambushed on our way into Iwa" said Neji.  
"TenTen missed the largest part of it, but she caught the blast from a exploding tag"

"I need a stretcher here quickly" yelled Sakura, at a passing medic.

The medic returned a few moments later with the stretcher.

"Neji, we need to get her into surgery quickly" said Sakura.  
"Please put her on the stretcher"

Neji did as he was told, but he really didn't want to let TenTen go.

"Please take care of her Sakura" said Neji, as TenTen was wheeled away by the other medic.

"I will do all I can Neji" said Sakura, taking off after the medic and TenTen.

End Flashback

Neji was once again broken out of his thoughts. But this time it was by someone touching his hand. Looking down at his hand, he found Naomi holding it.

"Are you crying, Tou-san?" asked Naomi.

"Yes I am Naomi" said Neji, whipping his eyes.  
"Are you finished with your talk with TenTen?"

"Yes I am, Tou-san" said Naomi.  
"It is now your turn to talk to her"

"Very well" said Neji.  
"Naomi-chan, could you return on your own? I would like to speak to TenTen alone"

"Alright Tou-san" said Naomi, letting Neji's hand go, and starting to walk back towards their home.

After Naomi had left, Neji took a few steps and feel to his knees.

"TenTen, I really miss you" said Neji.  
"I won't lie to you and say that I didn't want to return to Iwa,and kill every single person there, for what happened to you. Naomi-chan is looking more and more like you everyday, and I am finding it difficult to look at her sometimes, because I see you, and it makes me want to cry. She is also like you in other ways, then just her appearance. She has your strong determination to get what she wants, no matter the consequences. She is also very good with weapons, just like you were"

Neji got to his feet, and placed his hand on a black stone.

"I will always love you TenTen" said Neji, looking down at the stone, and reading what it says.

TenTen Hyuga  
Loving wife and mother.

Neji stays there for a few minutes longer, as it starts to rain. He then walks away, stopping to take one more look at the stone, and knowing that someday, he and TenTen will be together again.

(A/N: This is my first time writing a story like this, so I hope everyone likes it. I had intended to make it a songfic, with the song Here Without You, by Three Doors Down. However I was unable to decided where to place each lyric of the song, so I just went with a basic story.)


End file.
